Fix lag in online games

Game lag comes from four places: the queue on your line when someone else is using it, your Wi-Fi, the distance to the game server, and occasionally your provider's route. Check them in this order; each one is quick.

1. Lag only when others are online: bufferbloat

If your ping jumps when someone streams, uploads photos or downloads a game, run the Lag Check and look at the "Lag under load" grade. B or worse means the line's queue is filling up. The Smart Queue guide works out the exact router settings from your result. This is the single biggest fix for most homes.

2. Spikes and rubber-banding: Wi-Fi

Short spikes and lost packets are usually Wi-Fi. Plug the console or PC in with a cable and test again; if it's fixed, see the Wi-Fi guide for when a cable isn't possible.

3. High ping all the time: distance

Every 1,000 km adds roughly 10 ms of round trip, and nothing at home can remove it. The game server finder shows which regions are closest, then pick that server or region in the game.

4. "Strict NAT" or can't join friends

That's a connection problem, not lag; the NAT type check shows it. Turn on UPnP on the router, or forward the ports your game lists. If your provider uses CGNAT (the router's internet address starts with 100.64 to 100.127), ask them for a public IPv4 address or turn on IPv6 on the router and console.

5. Only one game or only in the evening: the route

If everything else is clean but one game lags at peak times, the problem is between your provider and that game's servers. Run the Lag Check at a quiet hour and again at the busy one and keep both results to show your provider. Paid "game accelerators" send your traffic along a different route; they sometimes help in that one situation and do nothing for the causes above.